Song: American Pie (Live). Artist: Don McLean Album: American Pie (1971). Tempo: Allegro. Time: 4/4 Tabbed: rikigo URL's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr-BYVeCv6U;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McLean Tuning: Standard. Chords: EADGBe G === 320003 D/F# === 200232 Em7 === 020000 Am === X02210 C === 332010 Em === 022000 D === XX0232 Dsus4 === XX0233 Dsus2 === XX0230 G/B === X20003 Am7 === X02010 D7 === XX0212 A7 === X02020 Intro (Sung with Piano only): NC G D/F# Em7 A long, long time ago,

^AmI can still re^Cmember how that ^Emmusic used to make me ^Dsmile.^Dsus4 ^D ^Dsus2 ^D And ^GI knew if ^D/F#I had my cha^Em7nce, That ^AmI could make those ^Cpeople dance, And ^Emmaybe they'd be ^Chappy for a ^Dwhile.^Dsus4 ^D ^Dsus2 ^D ^EmBut February ^Ammade me shiver, ^Emwith every paper ^AmI'd deliver. ^CBad news ^G/Bon the ^Amdoorstep, I ^Ccouldn't take one more ^Dstep. I ^Gcan't re^D/F#member if I ^Emcried when I ^Am7read about his wi^Ddowed bride, ^GSomething ^Dtouched me ^Emdeep inside. The ^Cday the ^D7music ^Gdied.^C

"Sing it for us, loud and clear" Chorus 1:

So ^Gbye, ^Cbye Miss ^GAmerican ^DPie, Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^D/F#rye, Singin' &^Emquot;This will be the day th^A7at I die, ^EmThis will be the day that I ^D7die."

Verse 1:

Did ^Gyou write the ^Ambook of love, And do ^Cyou have faith in ^AmGod above, ^EmIf the Bible tells ^Dyou so? Now do ^Gyou bel^D/F#ieve in ^Emrock and roll? Can ^Am7music save your ^Cmortal soul? ^EmAnd can you teach me how to d^A7ance real ^Dslow?^D7 Well I ^Emknow that you're in ^Dlove with him, ^Em'Cause I saw you ^Ddancin' in the gym. You ^Cboth kicked ^Goff your ^A7shoes, man I ^Cdig those rhythm and ^D7blues. I was a ^Glonely ^D/F#teenage ^Embroncin' buck with a ^Ampink carnation and a ^Cpickup truck. But ^GI knew ^D/F#I was ^Emout of luck the ^Cday the ^D7music ^Gdie^Cd, ^GI started ^D7singing'...

Chorus 2:

So ^Gbye, ^Cbye Miss ^GAmerican ^DPie. Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^Drye. Singin' &^Emquot;This will be the day th^A7at I die, ^EmThis will be the day that I ^D7die."

Verse 2:

Now for ^Gten years we've been ^Amon our own, And ^Cmoss grows fat on a ^Amrolling stone, ^EmBut that's not how it ^Dused to be. When the ^Gjester ^Dsang for the ^Emking and queen. in a ^Am7coat he borrowed f^Crom James Dean, in a ^Emvoice that came from ^A7you and ^Dme. And ^Emwhile the king was ^Dlooking down, the ^Emjester stole his ^Dthorny crown. The c^Courtroom ^Gwas adjour^A7ned, ^Cno verdict was ^D7returned. And while ^GLenin ^Dread ^Ema book on Marx, ^Amthe quartet practiced ^Cin the park. And ^Gwe sang ^Ddirges ^Emin the dark, the ^Cday the ^D7music ^Gdie^Cd, ^Gwe were ^D7singing'...

Chorus 3:

So ^Gbye, ^Cbye Miss ^GAmerican ^DPie, Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^Drye. Singin' &^Emquot;This will be the day th^A7at I die, ^EmThis will be the day that I ^D7die."

Verse 3:

^GHelter skelter in a ^Amsummer swelter, ^CThe birds flew off with^Am a fallout shelter, ^EmEight miles high and ^Dfallin' fast. It lan^Gded ^Dfoul on ^Emthe grass, the pl^Am7ayers tried for a f^Corward pass, ^Emwith the jester on the ^A7sidelines in ^Da cast Now at ha^Emlftime there was s^Dweet perfume, while ^Emsergeants played a m^Darching tune ^CWe all got ^Gup to ^A7dance, but ^Cwe never got the ^D7chance, 'Cause the ^Gplayers ^Dtried to ^Emtake the field, the ^Ammarching band ^Crefused to yield. Do ^Gyou re^Dcall what ^Emwas the feel the ^Cday the ^D7music ^Gdie^Cd, ^Gwe started ^D7singing'...

Chorus 4:

Verse 4:

And t^Ghere we were all ^Amin one place, A ^Cgeneration ^Amlost in space, ^EmWith no time left to ^Dstart again. So come on ^GJack be ^Dnimble, ^EmJack be quick, ^Am7Jack Flash sat on a ^Ccandlestick, ^Em'Cause fire is the devil's ^A7only fri^Dend. And ^Emas I watched him ^Don the stage, my ^Emhands were clenched in ^Dfists of rage, No ^Cangel ^Gborn in ^A7Hell could ^Cbreak that Satan's ^D7spell. And as the ^Gflames climbed ^Dhigh in^Emto the night ^Amto light the ^Csacrificial rite, I saw ^GSatan ^Dlaughing with de^Emlight the ^Cday the ^D7music ^Gdie^Cd, ^Ghe was ^D7singing'...

Chorus 5:

So ^Gbye, ^Cbye Miss ^GAmerican ^DPie, Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^Drye, Singin' &^Emquot;This will be the day th^A7at I die, ^EmThis will be the day that I ^D7die."

Outro (Sung with Piano only):

I ^Gmet a ^D/F#girl who ^Emsang the blues, And ^AmI asked her for some ^Chappy news, But ^Emshe just smiled and ^Dturned away.^Dsus4 ^D ^Dsus2 ^D I ^Gwent ^D/F#down to the ^Emsacred store, ^GWhere I'd ^Amheard the music ^Cyears before, but the ^Emman there said the ^Cmusic wouldn't ^Dplay. And ^Emin the streets the ^Amchildren screamed, the ^Emlovers cried and the ^Ampoets dreamed. But ^Cnot a ^G/Bword was ^Amspoken, the ^Cchurch bells all were ^Dbroken. And the ^Gthree men ^D/F#I adm^Emire ^Gmost, the ^CFather, Son, and the ^D7Holy Ghost, They ^Gcaught the ^D/F#last train ^Emfor the coast the ^Cday the ^Am7musi^D7c ^Gdied. And they were ^D7singing'...

"Sing it for me now" Coda:

Bye^G, bye^C, bye Mis^Gs America^Dn Pie, Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. "Everybody" And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^Drye Singin' &^Emquot;This will be the day th^A7at I die, ^EmThis will be the day that I ^D7die." And they were^D7 singing'... By^Ge, by^Ce, bye Mi^Gss Americ^Dan Pie, Drove my ^GChevy to the ^Clevy but the ^Glevy was ^Ddry. "Everybody" And them ^Ggood old ^Cboys were drinkin' ^Gwhiskey and ^Drye Singin' &^Cquot;This will be^D7 the day th^Gat I^C die^G."

(End) Notes: 1. This version was borne out frustration to get this to match the Live performance. 2. In 2001 "American Pie" was voted No. 5 in a poll of the 365 Songs of the Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Don McLean - American pie live